Pilot light assembly



Aim! 12, 1960 R. A. BOOMER ETAL 2,932,820

PILOT LIGHT ASSEMBLY Filed May 6, 1957 INVENTORS.

ROBERT A BOOMER a PHIL E. ALEXANDER ar A r ran/v5 r United States Patent 2,932,820 PILOT LIGHT ASSEMBLY Robert A. Boomer and Phil E. Alexander, Fort Wayne,

Ind., assignors to International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation Application May 6, 1957, Serial No. 657,363 2 Claims. (Cl. 340-380) The present invention relates to a pilot light assembly and more particularly to a pilot light assembly for mounting on the panel of electronic equipment.

The use of pilot lights on electrical equipment is wellknown, such usage being for innumerable purposes wherever is is desired to provide an observable indication. The present invention is concerned primarily with the structure of such a pilot light assembly and the method for fabricating the same.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a pilot light assembly which comprises essentially only two parts, namely a pilot lamp holder and a light transmitting member, the light transmitting member serving as a mounting for the holder.

The pilot light assembly of this invention may comprise a substantially U-shaped clip, the base of said clip having an opening therein, an element of solid plastic received by said opening, one end of the plastic element being molded to fit in the opening and the base of said clip to thereby be retained in place.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a partially assembled unit illustrating one step in the method of fabrication;

Fig. 2 is a perspective illustration of the completed pilot light holder of our invention;

' Fig. 3 is a perspective illustration of the U-shaped clip element of our pilot light holder having an opening in the base;

Fig. 4 is an illustration of the stalled in an ordinary panel, the section; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional light holder of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the assembly comprises essentially only two parts, namely a standard U-shaped fuse clip 1 and a short length of thermoplastic or Lucite rod 2. The clip 1 is composed of the usual spring material (brass, beryllium copper, plastic, etc.) shaped essentially to the configuration of a U, the base 3 being provided with an opening 4. Immediately to the rear of the base 3 the clip sides are converged inwardly as at 5, radiused outwardly as at 6 to provide a cylindrical retaining portion, and then are flared outwardly at 7. The Lucite rod 2 is fitted into the opening '4 as shown in Fig. 1, this rod 2 being preferably externally threaded as shown at 8.

The inner end 9 of the rod 2 is molded by means of a soldering iron or similar heated tool onto the base 3 as pilot lamp holder inpanel being shown in illustration of the completed pilot 2,932,820 Patented Apr. 12," 1960 is more clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The plastic material is formed onto the entire area of the base 3 and also along the sides of the converged portion 5 of the clip itself, whereby the rod 2 is held firmly in position and is prevented from moving endwise in either direction. This molded portion of the rod, which may be characterized as a head, is indicated by the reference numeral 10, this head serving as a light-collecting lens.

In Fig. 4 the holder is shown as being assembled to a sheet metal panel 11 having a suitably threaded opening 12. The Lucite rod 2 is threaded into the opening 12 [clamping force of the clip portions 6.

Preferably, the inner surface 15 (Figs. 2 and 4) of the molded head 10 is polished as is the distal rod end 16. Light emanating from the lamp 14 will thereby fall upon the polished surface 15 and will be transmitted to the distal end 16 where it may be viewed from the front of the panel.

In a practical embodiment of the invention, the Lucite rod is threaded with a die and is received by a No. 11 hole in the panel 11 tapped with a tap. To secure the clip 1 in position on the panel, a lock nut 13 is turned up against the clip. into the panel opening 12, the nut is turned against the panel to lock the assembly in place. The Lucite rod serves as a light-transmitting member as well as the mount for the assembly.

While we have described above the principles of our invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of our invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination: a pilot light holder comprising a generally U-shaped spring metal clip having two sides joined together by a base for gripping and retaining a lamp, said base having an opening formed therein, and a member formed of light transmitting plastic material extending through said opening, the inner end of said memher having an enlarged portion extending between said sides and engaging the same and said base thereby securing said clip and member together, said inner end of said member having its end surface polished whereby light is collected from said lamp and transmitted to the outer end of said member, the outer end of said member projecting beyond said base and being generally rod-shaped, the end surface of said outer end being polished for viewing the light transmitted from said lamp; and a panel having an opening formed therein; said outer end of said pilot light holder member extending through said panel opening and being threadingly secured therein thereby mounting said pilot light holder on one side of said panel with said polished outer end of said member being disposed on the other side of said panel.

2. A pilot light holder comprising: a generally U-shaped spring metal clip having two sides joined together by a base for gripping and retaining a lamp, said base having an opening formed therein, and a member formed of light K and being generally rodhaped for extending through an 10 dpening in-a panel, the end surface of said outer end of said member being polished for viewing the light transmitted from said lamp. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cole May 7, 1912 Taylor Nov. 13, 1945 Peter et al. Mar. 18, 1952 Polymeros Jan. 12, 1954 Haynes et al. Mar. 19, 1957 a wwuwdma 

